Year 9, 10 & 11

Recommended Reading List

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas – Aspiring rapper Bri has been defined as "trouble" at school and her mum is struggling to pay the bills after losing her job. Life is tough and when Bri records her first rap full of anger and guns, it goes viral for all the wrong reasons.

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds – After Will's brother is shot in a gang crime, he knows the next steps. Don't cry. Don't snitch. Get revenge. So he gets in the lift with a gun, determined to follow The Rules. Only when the lift door opens, he begins to be haunted by ghosts of the past.

Watch Us Rise by R Watson & E Hagan – Jasmine and Chelsea are best friends on a mission. Sick of the way that young women are treated even at their 'progressive' New York City high school, they decide to start a Women's Rights Club. One problem - no one shows up.

The Sin Eater’s Daughter by Melinda Salisbury - Seventeen-year-old Twylla lives in the castle. But although she's engaged to the prince, Twylla isn't exactly a member of the court. She's the executioner.

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black - One terrible morning, Jude and her sisters see their parents murdered in front of them. The terrifying assassin abducts all three girls to the world of Faerie – and they meet the infuriating, arrogant and charismatic Prince Cardan…

History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera - Griffin has lost his first love in a drowning accident. Theo was his best friend, his ex-boyfriend and the one he believed he would end up with. Now, reeling from grief, Griffin turns to an unexpected person for help.

The Boxer by Nikesh Shukla – Told over the course of the ten rounds of his first fight, this is the story of amateur boxer Sunny. A 17 year old feeling isolated and disconnected in a new city, Sunny joins a boxing club to learn to protect himself.

Straight Outta Crongton by Alex Wheatle - Life's a constant hustle for Mo. The South Crong streets are fraught with hazards and nasty G's; thank god her sistrens, Elaine and Naomi, are on her side: if one of them falls then they all fall.

Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan - Each year, 8 girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It's the highest honour they could hope for...and the most demeaning. This year, there's a 9th. And instead of paper, she's made of fire.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie - Arnold Spirit, Jr (known as Junior) is a budding cartoonist who takes the astonishing step of leaving his school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white high school 22 miles from home.

Opposite of Always by Justin A. Reynolds – When Jack and Kate meet at a party, they fall for each other. But soon afterwards, Kate dies. And their story should end there. Yet Kate’s death sends Jack back to the beginning – and he has a chance to prevent her death.

Dracula by Bram Stoker - When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula purchase a London house, he makes horrifying discoveries in his client's castle. Soon afterwards, disturbing incidents unfold in England…

My So-Called Bollywood Life by Nisha Sharma – Winnie Mehta returns from film camp to discover Raj, her boyfriend, has moved on. As a self-proclaimed Bollywood expert, Winnie knows this is not her perfect ending…

Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles - When Marvin’s twin, Tyler, goes to a party, Marvin decides to tag along to keep an eye on him. But what starts as harmless fun turns into a shooting. The next day, Tyler has gone missing, and a video is leaked online that reveals the night’s fateful events.

I Am Thunder by Muhammad Khan - Muzna is 15 and used to being invisible. So no one is more surprised than her when Arif, the hottest boy in school, takes a sudden interest. But Arif is hiding a terrible secret and, as they begin to follow a dark path, Muzna faces an impossible choice.

All The Invisible Things by Orlagh Collins – Since Vetty’s mum died and her family moved out of London, it's felt so much safer not to tell people how she really feels. She's never even told anyone she's attracted to girls as well as boys. But now, Vetty's finally coming back to London - and she's determined to start living out loud.

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke – Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are Boneless Mercies – death-traders, hired to kill quickly, quietly and mercifully. It is a job for women, and women only. Men will not do this sad, dark work.

Killer T by Robert Muchamore - Harry and Charlie live at a time when gene editing technology is starting to explode. You can beat cancer, enhance your brain to pass exams, or tweak a few genes the perfect body. But in the wrong hands, cheap gene editing is the most deadly weapon in history.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien – Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power – the means by which he intends to rule Middle-Earth. All he lacks is the One Ring – the ring that rules them all.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee – In a small Southern American town, a black man is accused of assaulting a white woman. To the horror of others, white lawyer Atticus Finch questions the charge and defends the accused man in a town steeped in prejudice and racism.

Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman - Sephy is a Cross, Callum is a nought. They've been friends since they were children, and they both know that's as far as it can ever go. Noughts and Crosses are fated to be bitter enemies - love is out of the question.

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir - Laia and her family live under the oppressive and brutal rule of the Empire. When her grandparents are murdered and her brother imprisoned for treason, Laia has no choice but to ask the rebels for help. But in return for help, they want her to spy in the Empire's military academy, Blackcliff.

One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus - 5 students go to detention. Only 4 leave alive. Simon, creator of the gossip app at Bayview High, won't ever talk about any of them again. He dies 24 hours before he could post their deepest secrets online. Investigators conclude it's no accident. All of them are suspects.

Cuckoo Song by Frances Hardinge - When Triss wakes up after her accident, she knows that something is wrong. She is strangely, insatiably hungry; her hair is always full of leaves; her younger sister seems to hate her. Even her diary is no help: all the pages have been ripped out.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - 2044. The real world is in ruins. Out of oil; the climate destroyed; famine, poverty and disease. But Wade Watts has an escape - the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia where you can be anything you want to be.